Previous studies on the Arctic have shown how climate change is affecting both underwater and surface ecosystems. Changes that are occurring with the oceans, such as melting glaciers, increased vegetation around the Antarctic Sea, and phenomena of El Niño and La Niña, worry many scientists around the world.
A Dartmouth study reported that the air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels has reached the Arctic in considerable quantity and has changed atmospheric composition. The scientists made this observation while studying glaciers from Alaska and Greenland, which showed a decline in methanesulfonic acid produced by marine phytoplankton activity. These results thus indicate industrial pollution even in the far-flung areas of the world.
While tree planting has conventionally been considered to help fight climate change because of its carbon absorption, a new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that planting trees in the Arctic-or other northernmost regions-may actually accelerate global warming.
Another study on the vulnerability of Arctic Ocean microbial eukaryotes to sea ice loss showed that the Arctic Ocean is going through a period of rapid change.
A new research on the vulnerability of Arctic Ocean microbial eukaryotes to sea ice loss revealed that the Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid changes. The ongoing loss of sea ice, combined with warming and freshening, is affecting primary productivity during summer months. Scientists studied microbial eukaryotes in four Beaufort Sea environments and found the most diverse communities in coastal areas. However, the under-ice community, rich in rare species, showed significant vulnerability to change. With continued sea ice loss, these specialized communities may transition to more generalist ones, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem functions in the Arctic Ocean.
These changes are happening as the Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the planet, causing sea ice to melt and raising the risk of an ice-free Arctic summer, the study revealed.
The international research team was led by the University of Exeter and included Laval and Concordia universities.
“Every drop of the ocean teems with tiny organisms,” said Vicky Jackson from Exeter’s Living Systems Institute. “These organisms form intricate communities that underpin all marine food webs, directly or indirectly sustaining every ocean animal,” he added.
While explaining about the research Jackson said that the research uncovered rare, specialist species thriving beneath the ice. However, with the ice melting at an alarming rate, these communities could be replaced by more generalist species found in other areas.
Dr. Adam Monier explained, “These under-ice species are uniquely adapted to their environment, such as surviving under low ultraviolet light. While species can adapt, the rapid pace of Arctic change makes it nearly impossible for them to keep up. They risk being outcompeted by generalist species in their newly altered habitat.”
He added, “The implications for marine food webs and biodiversity are difficult to predict but could be significant.”
The researchers analyzed seawater samples, extracting RNA to identify active microbial species. The study, partly funded by Dr. Monier’s Royal Society University Research Fellowship, was published in Scientific Reports under the title: “Vulnerability of Arctic Ocean Microbial Eukaryotes to Sea Ice Loss.”
Source: University of Exeter